Although flow field plate technology has advanced significantly in the area of fuel cells, there are a number of inherent deficiencies associated with forming anode and cathode flow fields on a metallic or composite plate. First and foremost, the per-plate cost targets tend to be difficult to meet with any combination of material (stainless steel, aluminum, composite, etc.) and manufacturing method (etching, machining, stamping). Secondly, because the plates and the flow field “lands” are rigid, it is difficult to apply uniform compression across the plane of the stack with any presently existing compression method. Lastly, because of solid state contact at the flow field plate-diffusion media interface, cell performance is affected by the relatively large contact resistance in this location. As such, it is desirable for a flow field plate that eliminates the above enumerated drawbacks.